Published: Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 10:30 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 7, 2014 at 9:23 a.m.

When Velma Van Buren moved into her public housing residence on Eagle Drive in Thibodaux more than 30 years ago, it was a safe neighborhood.

Now, after an increase in crime and a recent spurt of shootings, Van Buren said she doesn't feel safe outside and fears for the children who live in the area.

“Our kids are not safe anymore,” Van Buren said.

Michael Stansbury, an Eagle Drive resident ho has lived in the Midland area for 17 years, said everything was good when he first moved in. Over the years, though, the things have gotten worse.

“I can see them blowing smoke, blowing their little weed,” he said.

“We had a grandson over here and he come in the house and the little grandson say, 'Papa, I smell weed.' I said what are you talking about? Then I went outside and I could smell it, too. After that I started telling the guys, even if they stand outside, I tell them they've got to move because we're not going to have that.”

Stansbury, who calls himself as an outdoor person, has taken it upon himself to keep an eye out for local kids.

The area has had four reported shootings since December:

On Dec. 15, a Thibodaux man was accused of shooting another on Sanders Street.

n On Feb. 1 two suspects were arrested in connection with a shooting on Government Circle that left a Thibodaux man in the hospital.

n Later in February, a suspect was arrested after he allegedly shot a man in Government Circle and fled. Government Circle also has public housing units.

n On Sunday, an unknown shooter fired at a house on Midland Drive. No one was hurt.

Thibodaux City Councilwoman Constance Johnson will hold a community meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday to discuss crime in the Eagle Drive area. The meeting will be in the Apple-A-Day day care room at Sucre Estates in Thibodaux.

As a result of the recent shootings, Police Chief Scott Silverii said a new agreement is in place with the Thibodaux Housing Authority. It is a two-pronged effort aimed at removing guns and troublemakers from the neighborhood.

Patrolmen are going to aggressively look for anyone illegally possessing guns. From traffic stops to suspicious activity, each time an officer is asked to speak to an individual in the area they'll ask if the person has a gun.

“How do you stop shootings in the area? You take away the guns,” Silverii said.

Anyone found in violation can be kicked out of the neighborhood.

“The vast majority of those people out there are using the housing because of their income levels. But then you have the ones that don't care and they bring the wrong element into play. (Housing Authority Executive Director Harry Becnel) has the means to remove them,” Mayor Tommy Eschete said.

Residents say they wish they still had the community policing program that was dismantled in 2011. It kept five full-time police officers assigned to the area with at least one on constant patrol. The program was paid for by the Housing Authority, which could not afford to continue paying the $100,000 per year contract.

Since the community policing program was stopped, Stansbury said he feels the need to keep an extra set of eyes on the kids who visit the park on Eagle Drive.

Last week, Stansbury said several kids approached him saying some of the older kids were keeping them from playing in the park. Stansbury suspects they older kids were smoking marijuana.

“I said, 'I'm not being rude and I'm not going to curse you, but you can't be out here,'” he said.

The group moved on, though a couple tried to intimidate him, he said.

“I'm not scared. I'm just worried about the kids,” he said.

Eagle Drive resident Vera Martin, who also lives in public housing, said she doesn't feel safe when she leaves for work in the morning and is sad for the children who are walking to school in the dark.

“We never know when the bullets are coming,” she said.

Van Buren is also concerned.

“There are bright kids, very bright kids, and we don't want them to get caught up in this stuff. They think this is all they can do in life. But no, there are better things in life right now. We want to keep them safe because they might grow up to become doctors, lawyers, police officers and detectives,” she said. “We don't want to see the violence that we see on TV now.”

Staff Writer Jacob Batte can be reached at 448-7635 or jacob.batte@dailycomet.com. Follow him on Twitter @ja_batte.

<p>When Velma Van Buren moved into her public housing residence on Eagle Drive in Thibodaux more than 30 years ago, it was a safe neighborhood. </p><p>Now, after an increase in crime and a recent spurt of shootings, Van Buren said she doesn't feel safe outside and fears for the children who live in the area. </p><p>“Our kids are not safe anymore,” Van Buren said. </p><p>Michael Stansbury, an Eagle Drive resident ho has lived in the Midland area for 17 years, said everything was good when he first moved in. Over the years, though, the things have gotten worse. </p><p>“I can see them blowing smoke, blowing their little weed,” he said. </p><p>“We had a grandson over here and he come in the house and the little grandson say, 'Papa, I smell weed.' I said what are you talking about? Then I went outside and I could smell it, too. After that I started telling the guys, even if they stand outside, I tell them they've got to move because we're not going to have that.” </p><p>Stansbury, who calls himself as an outdoor person, has taken it upon himself to keep an eye out for local kids. </p><p>The area has had four reported shootings since December:</p><p>On Dec. 15, a Thibodaux man was accused of shooting another on Sanders Street. </p><p>n On Feb. 1 two suspects were arrested in connection with a shooting on Government Circle that left a Thibodaux man in the hospital.</p><p>n Later in February, a suspect was arrested after he allegedly shot a man in Government Circle and fled. Government Circle also has public housing units.</p><p>n On Sunday, an unknown shooter fired at a house on Midland Drive. No one was hurt.</p><p>Thibodaux City Councilwoman Constance Johnson will hold a community meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday to discuss crime in the Eagle Drive area. The meeting will be in the Apple-A-Day day care room at Sucre Estates in Thibodaux.</p><p>As a result of the recent shootings, Police Chief Scott Silverii said a new agreement is in place with the Thibodaux Housing Authority. It is a two-pronged effort aimed at removing guns and troublemakers from the neighborhood. </p><p>Patrolmen are going to aggressively look for anyone illegally possessing guns. From traffic stops to suspicious activity, each time an officer is asked to speak to an individual in the area they'll ask if the person has a gun. </p><p>“How do you stop shootings in the area? You take away the guns,” Silverii said. </p><p>Anyone found in violation can be kicked out of the neighborhood. </p><p>“The vast majority of those people out there are using the housing because of their income levels. But then you have the ones that don't care and they bring the wrong element into play. (Housing Authority Executive Director Harry Becnel) has the means to remove them,” Mayor Tommy Eschete said. </p><p>Residents say they wish they still had the community policing program that was dismantled in 2011. It kept five full-time police officers assigned to the area with at least one on constant patrol. The program was paid for by the Housing Authority, which could not afford to continue paying the $100,000 per year contract.</p><p>Since the community policing program was stopped, Stansbury said he feels the need to keep an extra set of eyes on the kids who visit the park on Eagle Drive.</p><p>Last week, Stansbury said several kids approached him saying some of the older kids were keeping them from playing in the park. Stansbury suspects they older kids were smoking marijuana. </p><p>“I said, 'I'm not being rude and I'm not going to curse you, but you can't be out here,'” he said. </p><p>The group moved on, though a couple tried to intimidate him, he said. </p><p>“I'm not scared. I'm just worried about the kids,” he said. </p><p>Eagle Drive resident Vera Martin, who also lives in public housing, said she doesn't feel safe when she leaves for work in the morning and is sad for the children who are walking to school in the dark. </p><p>“We never know when the bullets are coming,” she said. </p><p>Van Buren is also concerned.</p><p>“There are bright kids, very bright kids, and we don't want them to get caught up in this stuff. They think this is all they can do in life. But no, there are better things in life right now. We want to keep them safe because they might grow up to become doctors, lawyers, police officers and detectives,” she said. “We don't want to see the violence that we see on TV now.” </p><p>Staff Writer Jacob Batte can be reached at 448-7635 or jacob.batte@dailycomet.com. Follow him on Twitter @ja_batte.</p>